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Crazy Horse Monument
Ground was broken on The Crazy Horse Monument in 1948, and it has been making slow but steady progress. It is on its second generation of workers.
You can take your school age grand children to see it now, and they will probably be able to take their grand children to see the completion.
The scale of Crazy Horse is incredible. It is the largest sculpted monument of all time. It will be taller than the Washington Monument. All of Mt. Rushmore would fit in Crazy Horse's head and hair, with room left over.
You can get more information from the Crazy Horse Memorial Organization
Crazy Horse is on a size scale rivaling anything done in ancient times. Seeing Crazy Horse every few years is like watching the construction of the the great pyramids of Egypt. You have to look carefully to notice the changes. Seeing some blasting helps you understand. You will see a video of a night blast below.
2014. Blast by blast, The Maountain is slowly being shaped to look like the model on the viewing deck.
Blast Aug 12 2014. The blasts are quite interesting and remove anywhere from 100 tons to 1000 tons of granite from the mountain.
Volksmarch, Sept 28, 2014. Twice a year, you can walk up to the face of Crazy Horse. Get the dates from the Crazy Horse Memorial Organization.
Crazy Horse is on a size scale rivaling anything done in ancient times. Seeing Crazy Horse every few years is like watching the construction of the the great pyramids of Egypt. You have to look carefully to notice the changes. Seeing some blasting helps you understand. You will see a video of a night blast below.
June 2002
June 2005
Sept 2009
Sept 2010 After Night Blast below.
Sept 2012.
This one was actually taken from the Veranda inside the compound in 2014.
There is an admission charge to get to the compound at Crazy Horse.
Besides the actual carving, money goes to finance various educational projects for local Native American tribes.
The gift compound also has shops with emphasis on Native American craftsmanship, The Indian Museum of North America, a restaurant, the original model of the monument, native dancers and other cultural events, an overview movie, and a bit closer view of the monument.
Native dancesr, artists, authors, and craftmasters of various types are in residence. Dancers perform 3 times a day during the summer. Indian jewelry and other crafts are sold by those who make them, and native authors sign their books.
Phyllis at Crazy Horse Model
Crazy Horse Monument from viewing veranda.
The monument is beginning to look like the model.
Slightly different perspective.
Korczack met with Lakota survivors of the Little Big Horn. From their verbal descriptions of Crazy Horse's face, he carved this likeness in a dead tree. Crazy Horse did not allow himself to be photographed, believing part of his soul would be captured. When asked by a photographer, his answer was "Would you steal my shadow also?
Getting close to Crazy Horse requires a paid bus tour when no blasting is going on. Since the monument is a work zone, walking close is not feasible (expect during the special scheduled Volksmarch)
You begin to appreciate the scale of Crazy Horse as the bus drives closer.
You can get close enough to see quite well.
You can even get closeups of the face of Crazy Horse. A good telephoto lens is required.
The flag marks Korczack's tomb.
Woodchuck, WIldlife is often sceene on the tour.
You can even get closeups Pointing Finger at Crazy Horse, next to be carved.
For a significant donation, you can take a van to the arm of Crazy Horse. It is an unforgettable experience. There are two Volksmarch weekends a year when you can WALK to the arm. Admission is even free provided you make a "3 cans per person" food donation to the Lakota food drive.
Phyllis and Larry with friends Robert and Cassandra on the arm on the monument.
Phyllis and Cassandra in front of the face. The scale of the Crazy Horse Monument is much more apparent.
Crazy Horse is close to the highest altitude between the Rocky Mountains and the Swiss Alps. That honor belongs to nearby Harney Peak. The altitude means interesting weather.
We had the good fortune to see a Rainbow from the entrance to Crazy Horse just a few days after the night blast (see below).
Crazy Horse is over a mile in altitude. Snow in June is slightly rare. Having a Mountain Goat Billy check you out on when you are on a bus tour is quite rare.
Crazy Horse Monument with snow in June.
Crazy Horse Monument appears mysterious in fog.
The laser light show does not photograph well.
The technology is interesting, but the show is not nearly as engaging as the night blast.
A Night Blast is strictly a pyrotechnic display which removes no rock. It is quite an unforgettable sight nonetheless.
Night Blast
VIDEO: Night Blasts are typically Sept 6 (the anniversary of Crazy Horse's death and sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski's birth), and June 26 (Ruth Ziolkowski's birthday).
Above is our video of the night blast. The first few second are not in focus, but it soon becomes AWESOME.
This image was taken from Mt Coolidge in Custer State Park, a distance of over 9 miles. An extra large version is also available.
Crazy Horse from Lightning Creek Road with Harney Peak behind.
Crazy Horse from Campground about one mile south with wide angle lens.
The Indian University of North America has a great collection of items made by or impacting Native Americas.
Some of the beads used to purchase Manhattan in 1626.